William Shakespeare is commonly seen as the best playwright of his time. His work is agreed to be genius pieces of literature. The plays
written by Shakespeare are studied in high schools all over the word. But I’ve just got one question, why? What is so special about his stories?
The first time I’ve read Shakespearian literature was a while ago when I read the famous “Romeo and Juliet” and to be honest, I don’t see what’s so great about it. The characters are boring, predictable, and static. The plot is rather lame as well. In the play “Romeo and Juliet” it seem as if the character only have one side to them, and when we do see a different side to them it makes absolutely no sense.
On top of that, all the symbolisms and foreshadows are more like getting hit in the head by a hammer than the vague pieces of artistic information that they are supposed to be. There are also multiple scenes and dirty jokes that does nothing to serve the actual story.
I really do not understand why he is known as a genius of literature or why I have to read his plays every year in high school.
But if you disagree with me or have the answer to my previous questions, please share.
well….i have to be quite frank with you, and quite strangely disagree with you. Shakespeare writes quite fastinating themes are are timeless and reoccur for out life time. English being my favourite subject, I was too quite puzzled at our school imposing Shakespeare's works into the curriculum. However, I must admit that Romeo and Juliet is not one of Shakespeare's best works, there are timless themes that relate and we can connect to personally. Girl and boy fall in love, but face obstacles that prevent from being together? Classic plot right there. His stories contain many motifs, themes and connection that relate to the human condition, like in Hamlet, an indecisive man that takes an interesting route as to how to handle the problem of his father's death. The lion king plot essentially draws many references from Hamlet, and what does The Lion King teach us about us humans? Can you relate to Simba? Can you understand why he does the things he carries to do? Shakespeare's stories allow us to make personal connections with the main characters, and give us many perspectives as to how they handle a situtation, as there is really one solution to any.
Besides, my English teacher gave me very good advice: you do understand how to read shakespeare plays, don't let the strange old english barrier stop you from fully appreciating the plays. Modern has evolved from its original roots from Old English, but the sentence structures are essentially similiar, and the side notes defintely do help, when you do understand an allusion or reference. I recommend reflecting upon the books you enjoy to read, and why you like them. Shakespeare is considered a literay genuis for writting so many plays that are the basis for so many other plots that are familiar to you, plus reveals a lot of insight into the human nature, and why people do what they do.
Please provide a better argument than lame stories or boring characters, because I believe that you have not truly understood the basis of the story itself or the impact of the characters make upon literature. Sorry to somewhat argue as such, but I've made the same mistake when speaking to my English teacher, and his plays get more interesting to read, per say, you'll understand all in due time, when you further study macbeth, hamlet, king lear, or othello.
lol I semi-agree with you in some cases where Shakespeare isn't really that appealing. The language is, there may be another term for it but, outdated. The from there, we've gotta translate the text into modern and se what's the big great deal of what Shakespeare is saying about some young love that usually goes flushing down the toilet.
BUT, with Romeo and Juliet, I quite like it. Mostly because of Mercutio and how crazy he tends to be with Queen Mab. This tragic play, I think, is so famous because of two things. One, shows how willingly blind we, as teenagers, can fall in love. I mean, we don't stab each other or go gallavanting with 13 when we are 5 years older than they are (well, not in a healthy way at least :/).
Also, there other quotations from his other plays I really like. For example,
"All the world's a stage,
and all the men and women merely players:
they have their exits and their entrances;
and one man in his time plays many parts…"
As You Like It, Act II, Scene 7, 139–42
The metaphor, for people like me (Actor/resses and people who like life in general) means alot to me. It just kinda gives me some sense of exhilaration of how cool howhe could compare life to a play.
One more thing that I remembered. Who doesn't love a good joke now and then. Whether it be The Nurse from R+J or anything from Twelfth Night. It always is nice to spring up with a joke, however tragic the play may be.
i completely understand both of your point of views.
Lisa i didn't go into details with my arguments because no one would want to read me rant about Shakespeare for paragraphs after paragraphs. but i think that a story should consist of charaters that aren't all static and stereotipical. i believe that in other for a story to be great the characters must have more sides to them. you cnat have a story where the protagonist is either severly depressed or blindly in love. also though the idea of his plot are great i believe he didn't do a good job of putting it together, even though almost every love story is based on romeo and juliet alot of them are actually way better in the scene that the characters are more developed, it has deeper meaning and the plot makes more sense from a realistic point of view. if the only way he can think of for showing the characters sadness is by having them attempt to kill themselves…then the plot really isn't that impressive.
Tomtom (awesome name) there are sparks of genious in his plot and the lines the charaters say, but in all honesty that is the only thing appealing about his plays. but if you take all the peices genious in R+J and compile them back to back you'll get about 10-20 pages the rest to me seems like something written by beginner writter (when compared to the level of litterature in modern day) and so to me his plays are just average or maybe upper average, but there is no reason to force high school students to study litterature that's just above average.
there are much better writter's than shakespeare and to be honest if shakespeare lived in modern day and wrote in modern english, no one would refer to him as a genious.